A REBEL councillor in Nicola Sturgeon's home county is clinging to power after refusing to join a mass resignation of SNP colleagues in a move that has thrown the authority into chaos.
One week after the Nationalist party in North Ayrshire quit the administration benches having lost the balance of power, it has emerged that a lone councillor has told officials he will not stand down.
Cllr John Bruce has sought legal advice after revealing he had not given permission the SNP group - which includes the First Minister's mother Joan - to tender his resignation.
The move could delay the rival Labour group's rise to power North Ayrshire having already announced their choice of convener for positions vacated by the SNP.
Read more: North Ayrshire Labour leader Peter McNamara stands down, days after instigating moves to oust SNP
Once they assume power, the leader is expected to named as Councillor Joe Cullinane who will become the first outward Jeremy Corbyn supporter spearheading a Scottish council.
Cllr Cullinane is the son of Jackson Cullinane, one of the senior figures in Unite the Union and member of Labour's trade union section.
Thirty-year-old and by some distance the youngest member of the Labour group, Cllr Cullinane was only made leader one week ago.
The crisis engulfing North Ayrshire was triggered by the by-election defeat of Ms Sturgeon's father Robin earlier this month.
Labour's victory in Irvine left it with 12 councillors to the SNP's 11, with six independents holding the balance of power.
With Labour eyeing a takeover, the SNP announced it was resigning en masse, claiming that it was "only right that Labour be given the opportunity to form the next administration of the council".
Last night a council spokeswoman said the SNP had provided North Ayrshire's chief executive with a signed document listing the group resignations.
She added: "Subsequently on August 24, Cllr Bruce advised officers that he did not agree to resign as cabinet member, portfolio-holder or member of Cosla's education, children and young person's executive group, nor did he authorise the SNP Group to tender his resignations.
"Council will have to be satisfied as to the validity of Cllr Bruce's resignations before it can consider the resulting vacancies as part of this report."
Cllr Bruce was not available for comment but one local source said: "Bruce has the lawyers looking at this. He didn't resign he said nor gave anyone permission to resign him.
"The whole things has been a mess. Others in the SNP didn't want to resign but they're not rebelling against their whip. If its some kind of tactic its a tactic which puts the whole area at risk."
Meanwhile, Labour sources have said the move by the party to take over an authority with a 'Corbynista' leader made for "intriguing dynamics" in the build up to next year's local elections.
He said: "Joe's a big Corbyn supporter and well-known for it. He's well into the whole Momentum thing. But what's interesting is he's the only one in the Labour group and the likely next administration who is. The rest are mostly soft left older guys.
Read more: Nicola Sturgeon's dad suffers shock defeat to Labour as SNP trade seats with party in by-elections
"It all makes for intriguing dynamics: what kind of budget does Joe set, does he go for a 'no cuts' one, does he make all the really difficult decisions expected of an administration, who does he use it as a platform for success next May and how do the SNP operate in opposition?"
Cllr Cullinane said: "With the SNP Group in chaos, tendering the resignation of their members even without the consent of some it would seem, we are putting forward our plan to take control of the council."
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